


Masks

by JacksPen



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening, Persona Series
Genre: Gen, More introspection than anything, Persona AU, They have personas, Woo go 3am drabbles, modern au i guess, sort of...?, the title is shit i know
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-21
Updated: 2015-03-21
Packaged: 2018-03-18 21:11:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3584118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JacksPen/pseuds/JacksPen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes a Persona tells a lot more about a person than they'd like to think.  Sometimes their wielders think about it a little more than they'd like.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Blank Canvas- Robin and Mark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If their persona was blank, what'd that make them?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this was a little drabble I ended up doing at a not so great hour of the day and decided to put up. I'm a big fan of the Fire Emblem and Persona series' and I thought "Hey why not put the two together". I ended up using Awakening because I felt that it was the only Fire Emblem game that was bright enough for the Persona series with the rest resembling other parts of the Megaten franchise better. This work is unbeta'd so there's bound to be problems and I would really appreciate it if any were brought to my attention.

To say that Robin was curious about Personas was an understatement. Nothing about Personas made actual concrete sense and they completely baffled Robin. 

He knew that Emmeryn called them the manifestations of their psyches, but what did that mean exactly?

Were Personas only visual aid to their powers? Were they a greater being that happened to bond with them? Were they actually the manifestations of the inner minds of their wielders? And if they were then why do they appear to be mythical figures? Why not appear as an extension of those who summon them? Or even something completely nonsensical seeing as the human mind made little sense?

He knew that there could be thousands of different explanations, from Emmeryn’s “Representation of themselves” to Lissa’s “Who cares they work” approach. Robin’s favorite explanation (or at least the one they thought made sense) however was one his literature professor gave: “Everything that comes from the mind means something. Everything. Even the things that make no sense have some sort of connection to exactly how anything you do works. Sometimes what shows up tells you more about you than you know.”

However this made Robin frown. If these things from their heads represented themselves than what did that mean about them? They had no past and it wasn't like anyone was looking for them. Not even Mark gave any answers to them. Robin let out a sigh as he grabbed his Evoker, the cold, dead weight of the gun not fazing him in the least as he pressed it against his temple.

Inhaling deeply Robin readied the trigger. “Mark” he whispered before the sound of shattering glass flooded the room.

Opening his eyes Robin looked up to his Persona, making sure to take all of its details in. Overall, Mark was very underwhelming with its small body covered from head to toe. Wearing an unpatterned green cloak, basic gloves and boots, nothing about their Persona really stood out. Not even the mask it wore as it was completely blank. It was nothing like Chrom’s Hector and all of its glory, or Lissa’s Mist with all of its colors. It wasn't even like Frederick’s Oswin with all the strength it projected or any of Robin’s other Personas (maybe it was because Mark represented him and only him, not him and one of his social links). It was empty, nothing setting it apart (a blank canvas, that’s what Tiki called it in that strange room, but a canvas can be filled and Robin hasn't seen Mark reflect that).

Robin slumped against the wall hollowly chuckling. “Really what does Mark say about me? That I’m blank like they are? That nobody will ever know who I really am? That I’m not worthy to be with Chrom and the others.” Tears started flowing down Robin’s face as every thought he had just dragged him lower and lower into despair.

Robin tried to remember what his friends said about his Persona when they first showed up. “Mark was a tactician wasn't he? Led the forces of Elibe to victory despite the impossible odds, just like you Robin!” But Robin wasn't like Mark. Sure they held the same title, but leading an entire army was worlds away from leading their small entourage of five people. Not only that but didn't Mark end up disappearing and causing a war? That wasn't what Robin wanted to happen. He just wanted to help his friends.

Robin stared at his Persona. An amnesiac found on a field by a lord. Someone with a knack for tactics who helped surpass immeasurable odds. A man who never found out his past, disappeared without telling any friends and caused a war. Robin started laughing despite his tears because if his Persona meant anything than he was the biggest omen in existence and Robin couldn't help but appreciate the symbolism.

“You,” Robin started, his words shaky through their tears. “You better take good care of Chrom and the others, because the second we become a liability this thing is over.”

The Persona, expressionless as always, but Robin liked to believe that their Persona understood. Standing up, Robin brushed off any tears that may have remained as he chose a mask to wear before deciding on Eliwood. After all he was meeting Chrom today and he’d rather die than upset his friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that's Robin done at least. Now for Robin I went the cheap route and used Mark the tactician from Fe7 as their persona. I couldn't help but use them considering all the parallels between Mark and Robin (amnesiacs found by a lord in a field who changed history much?) Plus it allowed for a whole lot of juicy little side connections with Robin's fear of not being good enough (cause Mark's best ending had them cause a total war) and if we learned anything from Robin's trip to the Wellspring of Truth, it's that they have major issues concerning their worth and lack of a past. Plus one of Mark's lords died from a Thunder Axe and Chrom gets stabbed in the back with a thoron. Honestly it's like they were trying to make parallels.


	2. Of Kings and Tyrants

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a thin line between a hero and a tyrant and Chrom desperately wishes to never cross it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter will be veering a bit off from canon or even typical portrayal of Chrom and dip more into my headcannons. Because as much as I love actual dork prince Chrom I also think that Chrom's father influenced him a bit more than he would have liked. That and the fact if it were any other game besides Awakening, Chrom would have received a lot more flack for the way he just kind of throws himself into war.

 

Ever since he first summoned his Persona, Chrom had always been terrified of himself. Of what he could do.

He remembers the moment he first summoned him so clearly. He had been angry, so very angry. He was angry at the man who threw the rock, the crowd who cheered him on, the guards who didn’t protect his sister, the people who demanded that Chrom’s family did anything for them.

_“How dare they do this! They don’t deserve her, they don’t deserve anything from us! They deserve to hurt. They deserve to be punished. They deserve to die!”_

Chrom remembers the sheer fury he felt in his small body. He remembers the satisfaction that filled him when the man who threw the rock at Emmeryn was strung up dead for the whole town to see. Most of all he remembers the disgust he felt at himself for enjoying what he had done so much.

After that day Chrom suppressed his Persona. Any time he felt that ungodly anger bubble up he would remind himself that it was wrong, that he was wrong. Chrom tried to hide it so long, and he tried so hard to be a better person, to be a good enough person that it’d just go away (but it’s so hard to be good when you are predispositioned to want and to take and to hurt). Chrom assumed that once he was a good enough person it’d go away, and then nobody would know how rotten Chrom was inside (he should have known better. If he could feel Emm’s kindness through the Persona resonance than anybody with a Persona could see his true colors).

But Robin, Robin was the first person to really make him feel as though he wasn't a Persona. That he could be a person people could really rely on (and isn't it funny that the person he refused to save in order to keep his Persona under wraps was the first person to make him feel good about himself. He is absolute garbage).

Chrom remembers Robin’s reaction when he first saw his Persona and all Chrom could think was: " _No, no please go away. I can’t let them hate me too."_

_“That’s Hector… The Great King Hector! Chrom why didn't you tell me you had a Persona, a hero-king one at that!”_

(Because while you see Hector all I can see is my father and Ashnard)

Chrom’s father. Chrom’s Persona. Chrom couldn’t really stop himself from noticing some similarities between the two. Between the monster of a man who taught him so much (so much hate, so much anger) and the thing that was supposed to be his psyche (the thing that is supposed to be him). His inner self looked so much like the man who taught him how to walk, how to wield a sword, how to walk all over everyone and how to never forgive. That man was the one who taught Chrom vengeance and bigotry and entitlement and _everything Chrom hated about himself_. He was the man that so easily blurred the line between Hector and Ashnard (enough that Chrom nearly calls out the wrong name when he is so angry and just _needs to hurt something_ ), and that man was _**IN CHROM’S HEAD**_!

**  
** But Chrom isn’t going to cross that line. He knows he won’t cross it because he has his friends, his family ( his Robin) to stop it from happening. And if one day they aren’t enough, well Chrom would rather die a hero than see himself become a villain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah this is a little difference from actual dork prince everyone is used to. My take on Chrom in this au is a combination of Chrom's fear of becoming his father and his need for acceptance. The main difference in his personality is that Emmeryn is still alive at this point. The only real insecurities we ever see Chrom have is when he is worried that he can't live up to actual saint Emmeryn, and while I know that was partially to play up how amazing Emm is, part of me wondered if he ever saw himself as his father. So I used his father's not so great influence, Chrom's tendency to hit things first, and an inherent insecurity when comparing himself to his sister to get this. A man who is afraid of himself and what he is capable of, because I think that's what Chrom is. Under all the smiles, protective instincts, and dorky behavior he's just some kid who's trying his best to be what people want him to be. Feel free to comment or disagree, I'd really like to hear other people's opinions.


	3. More than a Label

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She swears she's more than some label, even if she doesn't believe yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This time around is literal starshine Lissa. Now Lissa didn't really have a lot of insecurities in Awakening besides being a proper lady, and even then it was to fit more into the "Genki Little Sister Healer" role than anything. So I took that and placed in a more modern setting. Lissa isn't someone who would feel too many insecurities on what she is and place more on who she is and what she does. Lissa would probably have that issue where she wants to make as big of an impact as her sister, or be as respected as her brother, but can't really do it. Not because she isn't great, but because she isn't what people usually respect. Many times the women we remember were those who fought tooth and nail for it, but even then there are millions of women who had done great things that we forget about, and that's something Lissa isn't okay with.

 

 

_Spirited young girl. Main Healer. Little Sister._

All of these things are labels that fit Lissa perfectly, and it pisses her off.

Lissa doesn’t mind her Persona, not when Mist is so useful, crazy strong, and is what allows her to help her sister in her mission. No, overall Lissa is quite content with what her Persona can do. The thing that bothers Lissa though is who her Persona is.

Mist, Saint Mist, Lady Mist or whatever people want to call her, is someone Lissa despises. Not because of what Mist had done (because honestly Mist is kind of awesome), but because who she is. Or more specifically, how people remember her.

When people think of Mist they don’t think of her part in the Great Wars of Tellius. They don’t think of the hundreds of lives Mist had saved. They don’t talk about her skill as a warrior. They don’t talk about the staggering amounts of humanitarian works she’s credited with. No. No, the thing that people remember about Mist is how she was the Radiant Hero Ike’s younger sister and that she married her brother’s best friend.

That is NOT how Lissa wants to go down in the world. She is more than the “Little Sister” of someone (no matter how great they are). She is more than her looks, more than her smiling face and niceness. _She is more than some shitlord’s manic pixie dream waifu!_ Not like anyone believes her. It’s not like she believes herself.

Lissa is usually happy with her self. She loves all of her quirks. She loves how they just all fit together and make her herself. She loves her snorts, her pranks, her short stature, her personality, her body and anything else about her. _She just loves to love herself!_

But...the women who go down in history are never the women like Lissa.

The women who go down in history and are respected (Respect, how Lissa wishes someone would respect her) are the tough ladies. The strong ladies. The graceful ladies who can be a hardened soldier one second and a court lady the next. The women who are respected aren’t the ones who make jokes, or link daisies together. They aren’t the ones with a bubbly laugh who dream of a romance straight out of a romance novels. They aren’t Lissas.

The women who are remembered and respected are the Titanias, the Lucias, the Ishtars, the Minervas, Miledys, Elincias, Lutes and Louises. The women who make impacts are the Emmeryns and the girls who get a single paragraph out of entire studies of history are the Lissas.

**  
** Lissa knows that people would tell her otherwise. They tell her that she’s an inspiration, a breath of fresh air, a laugh when needed and a person who gets people to smile. But Lissa can never bring herself to believe any of these things are something worthwhile. Not while people like Chrom and Emmeryn are changing the world and all Lissa can see in the mirror is a “Little Sister”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Lissa's persona I ended up using Mist, for the exact reasons stated in the chapter. Mist is overall, not too important of a character besides being Ike's sister. Well, she technically is but you won't see people remembering her for more than her brother. I thought it fit perfect with Lissa, the same girl who feels inferior to her own siblings and to make this complex show up as THE little sister of the Fire Emblem franchise seemed to good of a chance to pass up. Again, any differing opinions are totally welcome by me, I would really like any feedback you guys would have.


	4. Living Shields

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They may be similar, but Frederick will not allow them to be the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Frederick...was surprisingly easier to do than I thought. After Hector had been chosen for Chrom, well, Frederick just kind of fell into place. That had the unfortunate circumstance of making Frederick's chapter more about the royal family than himself though. But on the bright side it also shows that Frederick isn't dumb when it comes to noticing signs like the tragedies that had fallen a certain duo's personas.

 

General Oswin was a good man. Oswin was a strong knight, a hardworking soldier, the ideal worker. General Oswin won many awards and titles and fought for his land well into his retirement years.

General Oswin also let his lord die.

Now Frederick knew that it was not Oswin’s fault. There was no way that Oswin could save Hector, not at his age and definitely not when Hector used the Devil Axe. Frankly it was only a matter of time before Lord Hector died a terrible death.

That didn’t change the fact that Hector had died under Oswin’s watch though.

So when Frederick watches their small entourage he can’t help but see a tragedy in the making. Not when so many signs are slapping him in the face.

Lady Mist’s brother had disappeared. Oswin failed his lord. Chrom himself was using the damned lord for Naga’s sake! There were too many omens to ignore, and Frederick would not let them get the better of him.

So Frederick busies himself. He cooks, he cleans, he watches, he trains, he protects and he does it without fail. Frederick will not let his debt go unpaid, not when this family had given him so much and especially not when they refuse to see what is staring them in the face! So Frederick will be their servant, their teacher, their maid, their nanny, their shoulder to cry on, their ear to listen, their brother, their friend, their impenetrable shield and unyielding lance for as long as he can draw a breath.

He will do this as long as he can. Even after he has paid his debt. Even as they grow older. Even when they no longer need him. Even when a greater threat rises. Even when the final damning omen nests itself in their hearts, readying to leave them and take everything they had to give with it.

**  
Oswin was his land’s stalwart shield. Frederick will be more than Oswin had ever been. He will not allow himself to fail as his Persona had.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final chapter for now as I haven't really thought of Emmeryn's persona yet (because good lord would this girl have a persona, all of that pressure and that symbol to carry would cause so many complexes). I won't be doing this for every unit in Fe:A though as I don't think that all of them would have a persona. Not because of the lack of issues, but the fact that at most a Persona game had 9 characters to a group and Awakening has waaaaay more than that. Not only that but most characters aren't even important as is the Fire Emblem tradition. So I took two of the games more important characters (Robin and Chrom) and just added any characters that would immediately become involved (Emmeryn, Frederick, and Lissa) and viola, a team was born. Now other characters may be used (Say'ri, Basilio, and Flavia are all relevant for more than one chapter) and others may be implemented in other ways (the Velvet Room still exists), but I'll only consider those if this thing grows to be way bigger than planned. 
> 
> Again any feedback, criticisms and alternate interpretations are welcome!


End file.
